AberdeenshireSALUTES

As part of Aberdeenshire Council’s commitment to the Military Covenant, a new project, AberdeenshireSALUTES, has been established to create and develop community based hubs for ex-service personnel.

The AberdeenshireSALUTES project will link up with community initiatives to offer service leavers, veterans, previous operational reservists and ex-service family members, support, guidance or just someone to talk to.

This project has been set up by Aberdeenshire Community Planning Partnership together with veterans, community representatives, and voluntary sector within Aberdeenshire.

In order to target appropriate activities and support services, the project needs to know how many ex-services personnel live in Aberdeenshire, where in the shire they live, age range and issues they may have faced.

Chair of Aberdeenshire Community Planning Partnership Cllr Richard Thomson said

Settling back in to communities for ex-service personnel and their families can be challenging. It is important given the sacrifices they have made for all of us that we are able to provide them with support when they need it.

I would encourage all former service personnel and their families to fill in the survey so we can play our part in helping them.

AberdeenshireSALUTES co-ordinator David Thomson said

Many people when they first leave the armed services are unaware of the help that is on offer to them. They are not sure who to speak to about issues that might be affecting their children’s education or a family member. We hope this project will help ex-service personnel across Aberdeenshire with their transition from a service environment back in to civilian life.

For some people the armed forces is all they have known and finding their feet in a non-military setting can be daunting. It doesn’t matter how long you have been out of military service though we are keen to hear from you.